Category: RCL Blog

Hook: Mention how nearly all members of America’s millennial generation have smartphones, contrasting views of how they play into social interactions – good or bad?

-Provide overview of relevance of the debate to Penn State students and young adults generally

Introduce Nina Jablonski speech and her proposal for students to put aside their cell phones for the next four years, get to know opportunities and people on campus

– Rhetorical strategies she uses to convince students of the importance of putting away devices

• Presents herself as not just anti-technology, concerned for welfare of students (ethos)
• People can do amazing things – taps into optimism and potential of college freshmen (pathos)
• Lists the diversity and volume of new experiences available at Penn State (logos)
• Social media and electronics are familiar but stunt social growth
• Commonplaces: college is a place where students experience the formative years of their lives, but it’s upt to them to seize the chance

Summarize content of Verizon ad, represents a counterpoint to Jablonski’s speech

-Rhetorical strategies employed in the advertisement

• Appeals to human desire for connections (pathos)
• Depicts millennial actors doing hip millennial stuff-eating at food trucks, checking phones (ethos)
• With Verizon, people can stay connected to their friends all the time with 4G LTE data (logos)
• Commonplaces: millennials expect to stay connected to the world via their mobile devices while they are on the go, society is moving too fast to even miss a minute of news or social media post

-Mention similarities between the two pieces of rhetoric:

• Both target millennial audiences
• Incorporate culture, values and expectations of millennials
• Do cell phones hinder development of young people or help it? (reiterate question)

Billowing American flags. Ripe fields of wheat. A booming narrators’ voice begins by praising the American way of life and the country’s unique character. The advertisement speaks effectively to an audience of potential voters, and campaign donors by appealing to Americans’ patriotic instincts. At the end, the candidate makes a direct call for support and says…nothing. In fact, the ad doesn’t tout the merits of a regular human politician, but the Senate hopeful in question is a Maine Coon named Hank.

The entire goal of Hank’s campaign was raising money for animal rescue in his home state of Virginia, using unconventional yet powerful means to curry donations. In January 2012, the 30-second “Hank for Senate” video debuted on YouTube, during the middle of a contentious election season. Alluding to a continuing news event relevant to its audience, the ad gains the viewer’s attention by subverting their expectations. “Hank for Senate” serves as a parody of standard campaign ads and their lack of substance, implying that if those platitudes can even work for a cat, their speakers aren’t saying much at all. Given the “election fatigue” people often experience during an election year, the joke of a cat running for U.S. Senate resonates with people who feel tired of seeing numerous campaign ads. Although complaining about politicians is a favorite pastime of Americans, they would be most predisposed to spite their representatives during election season, even if just by donating to Hank’s Senate campaign. Hank also brings much-needed levity after all of the bitterness that accompanies campaign politics. For all those disaffected with traditional politicians, the ad would likely generate discussion, thus raising awareness for the cause.

While the ad includes references to some of the best known commonplaces of traditional American culture, it also reminds us how divided the country has become. When addressing a bipartisan public, “Hank for Senate” avoids any reference to political agendas, instead focusing on creating feel-good sentiment. With the election dividing friends and neighbors, Hank provides a common point of discussion for both sides of the political spectrum. People may not agree on policy, but at least they can share in their love of an adorable cat. In a time when every area of life seems infused with politics, “Hank for Senate” offers the opportunity to build unity behind a good cause. Five years after its release, the ad speaks to what we need most in American politics: the ability to find common ground despite all the conflict around us and celebrate cute animals together.

Update: Unfortunately, Hank died in 2014. However, he earned over 4,000 votes and placed third in Virginia’s 2012 Senate race.

After the most recent Gulf of Mexico oil spill, the dish soap company Dawn began airing ads featuring volunteers using its product to clean oil from animals. While most consumers likely don’t put much consideration into their choice of dish soap, Dawn tries to change the public’s mindset by highlighting the good the company does in rescuing wildlife. The ad leans heavily on emotional appeals and establishes a narrative for the audience, meanwhile creating a positive association between Dawn and the cleanup effort. In the beginning, the ad features images of the oil-contaminated beaches and animals drenched in oil then progresses to footage of rescue workers using Dawn soap. The animals receive a bath in soapy water and the ad concludes with the rescue workers releasing them back into the wild. The viewer is reminded that for each bottle of Dawn purchased, the company will donate an additional bottle to animal rescue.

One of the most obvious commonplaces that Dawn appeals to is the idea that humans have an obligation to serve as stewards of nature. Humans share an innate connection with wild places and their inhabitants-therefore, conserving the environment is to our benefit. Furthermore, our presence makes a substantial difference in the lives of wildlife impacted by environmental disasters. The ad reflects this assumption in its depiction of ducklings quacking happily after their baths and rescued animals rushing back to the ocean. The inclusion of “before and after” shots of the animals leads the audience to become emotionally invested in the outcome of the rescue (and by extension, Dawn’s role in it) and relieved when the animals return home.

In the modern day, people have many ways to indirectly contribute to causes they support. Dawn reinforces the commonplace that charity does not need to involve a significant investment of time or money. Multiple people working together, each making a small difference, can create meaningful change (preferably by buying Dawn soap). Most viewers presumably buy dish soap for their household needs, so why not switch to a company that shares their concern for wildlife? Dawn implies that a small change in everyday behavior can better the world, which makes “Dawn Saves Wildlife” an especially effective piece of marketing.